The day after his arrest, he issued a statement of apology and said he brought "shame" and "disgrace" upon himself.

He was driving his mother home when he hit the checkpoint and was found to have more than the legal amount of alcohol in his system, he said.

“I apologize for my error in judgment and feel shame for the disgrace I have brought upon the Church and myself," he said. "I will repay my debt to society and I ask forgiveness from my family and my friends and co-workers at the Diocese of Oakland and the Archdiocese of San Francisco. I pray that God, in His inscrutable wisdom, will bring some good out of this.”

Cordileone was born and raised in San Diego. He earned his bachelor's degree from San Diego State University and his masters from the University of San Diego and served on the university's Board of Trustees in the early 2000s, according to a university spokesperson.